The present invention relates to a method and a device for remotely controlling call forwarding for a given telephone line.
Call forwarding now exists as a standard optional service for telephone users. At the present time, call forwarding is initiated and terminated only from the telephone instrument connected to the telephone line having such service.
For example, in New York State, in order to initiate call forwarding one must dial a call forwarding initiate code 72 at the telephone instrument and wait for a dial tone approximately five seconds later. Then the user dials in the call forwarding telephone number and waits for two beeps in response thereto followed by the ringing of the forwarding number. If the telephone at the call forwarding number is then picked up, the call forwarding function is initiated. If on the other hand the call forwarding number is busy or no one picks up, then the user must hang up his local phone, dial 72 again and wait for a dial tone, dial in the call forwarding telephone number again and wait for the two beeps which will then be followed by a dial tone, indicating that the call forwarding function has been initiated.
In order to terminate call forwarding, one must dial a call forwarding terminate code 73 from the local telephone and wait for two beeps followed by a dial tone. This indicates that the call forwarding function has been terminated.
While call forwarding is a useful option for a telephone user, it has the disadvantage of requiring the initiation and termination thereof to take place at the given local telephone instrument. Thus if the telephone user desires to be at different locations during a given period without returning to his local base, it is impossible to initiate or terminate the call forwarding or to change it to a new or different number.